Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Buffalo
Softball Bounces Back to Beat Buffalo
4/9/2006 5:09:52 PM | Softball
Eagles score five unanswered in final two innings
BUFFALO, N.Y
. – Five runs over the final two frames gave the Eastern Michigan University softball team an 8-5 come-from-behind win against the University at Buffalo here Sunday at Nan Harvey Field. With the win, the Eagles sweep the two-game season series with the Bulls.With the win, EMU improves to 18-19 overall and 6-2 in Mid-American Conference action, while UB falls to 9-28 on the season and 1-5 in league play.
Junior Aimee Woodrum (Cincinnati, Ohio-Sycamore) picked up the win in relief, throwing 2 and 1/3 innings. Woodrum relieved junior Michelle Lloyd (Akron, Ohio-Archbishop Hoban) who pitched the first 3 and 2/3 innings striking out seven batters and allowing three earned runs. Senior Nikki Denman (Toledo, Ohio-Sylvania Southview) earned her fourth save of the season, pitching a hitless seventh. The three EMU pitchers combined for 13 strikeouts.
Sophomore first baseman Ashley Strauss (Trenton, Mich.-Trenton) led the Eagles at the plate with three hits and scored two runs, while knocking in two runs. Junior outfielder Lindsay Schmid (Madison, Ohio-Madison) hit her third home run of the season.
Denman finished the contest 2-for-2 and hit her second homer of the season. The blast is the 16th of her career and gives her sole possession of third place on EMU’s career home run list. Denman was previously tied with junior shortstop Lauren Clark (Flat Rock, Mich.-New Boston Huron), who went deep in yesterday’s game, and now sits three behind Melissa Drouillard’s school record of 19 career long balls.
EMU scored two runs in the first inning after a two-run homer by Schmid. A sacrifice fly by Denman in the third gave the Eagles an early 3-0 advantage.
The Bulls charged back into the game with back-to-back two run innings in the third and fourth. UB took a 5-3 lead into the sixth. Denman led off the inning with the first of five unanswered runs, a solo home run to right center field. Strauss plated two runners on a two-out single, putting the Eagles up 6-5. EMU added two insurance runs in the seventh to close out the scoring.
A lead-off double in the bottom of the seventh led to head coach Karen Baird to bring in Denman who shut down the Bulls in order to secure the win.
The Eagles are in action again Friday, April 14, for the first of a two-game series with Central Michigan in Mt. Pleasant, Mich. Game time is slated for 3 p.m.
